Field fruit box dumper



June 27, 1950 .1. BLASIOLA FIELD FRUIT BOX DUMPER Filed April 24, 1947 v attorney Patented June 27 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE 2,513,073 FIELD-FRUIT BOX'DUMPE'R v v Joseph Blasiola, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application' nprilz l, 1947, Serial No. 743;532

This invention relates to field fruitxboxdumpers. It pertains particularly to. the handlingxof boxes used in harvesting citrus fruits; Inzpraotic'e, citrus fruit is picked-from the trees and placed in field or pa-ckout boxes; These are open rectangular boxesofa/about the same size as'fruit shipping boxes; These are.;placed-on trucks andhauled to the packing' sheds, where the fruit is washed, graded, waxedgw rappedrand finally packed inshipping ,boxes. One of "the steps'necessary in thisihandling of the fruit is to empty the field boxes onto. a sorting. trough where they are spread out: and inspectedcprion to being picked up by a conveyorto be carriedon "through theipacking processes. v

Obviously hand lifting of fruit boxes is avoided wherever possible, so it has been the practice in many sheds to unload the field boxes from the truck in stacks of four to seven, using a clamp hand truck to conveythebt'acks to the first receiving trough. There they wer releasedfrom the clamp truck and were then lifted by hand from the stack and dumped, one at a time, so

'that the fruit was spread out evenly and fed to the conveyor at a substantially uniform-rate. This hand lifting entailed considerable hard labor and, as loads were broughtinto'the shed-rapidly, required the services ofseveral persons} During the periods'between loads" these persons w-ere rendered idle and. had to beshift'ed toother-employment.

In view of the foregoing, I have devised a mechanism one object of which is to handle and dump the contents of these field boxes, one at l8, time, into the receiving trough or table.

Another object is to provide a tiltable table supported on trunnion bearings provided with a base to receive a vertical stack of boxes, and then tilt the stack to an inclined position so that the contents of the top box is spilled out on a receiving table but arranged so that the contents of the second box is retained until the first box is removed after it is empty, whereupon the contents of the second box rolls out on the table, and so on with the other boxes of the stack.

Another object is to provide a table, mounted on trunnion bearings, adapted to receive and hold a stack of field boxes when it is in a vertical position, and from a clamp truck, arranged with power mechanism to tilt to and slightly beyond a horizontal position so that boxes of the stack are slightly inverted with open tops directed toward a receiving table.

Other objects include the provision of power driven mechanism for tilting the table from the 1 Claim. (01. 214-11? vertical loading'position to and stopping at the slightly inclined dumping position, and then mechanism for returning it rapidly to the loading position.

Still further objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain these objects by means of the devices, construction and combination of parts illustrated in-the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figurel is a side elevation of my device shown in the vertical or leading position;

Figure 2, a front elevation thereof;

Figure 3, a side elevation of the device in inclined or dumpin position;

Figure 4, a fragmentary view of the table portionof my device showing its relation to the receiving and sorting table while dumping field boxes, and I Figure '5 is a'sideelevation of a portion of the table supportingshaft and attached parts, showing'the-clutch in open position.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views-.-

1 The table 2 has a fiat rectangular bed 3, with side-wings 4, and an end plate 5. The end opposite this plate is open and terminates in an apron 6. I

About 'midway'of the length of bed 3 there is a trunnion shaft i8 secured to its bottom face. The ends of this shaft are journalled in bearings 10 at-t'he top'of side members ll of supporting frame [2.

The table thus supported may be tilted from the position shown in Figure 1, which I term the loading position, to that shown in Figure 3 which is termed the dumping position. While in the loading position the table 2 is vertical, it is nevertheless inclined slightly to the rear toward frame l2 so that a stack M of field boxes l5 will lean against bed 3 when set on end plate 5. Wings 4 do not extend all the way to plate 5 so that side openings l6 are provided to accommodate the jaws of clamp hand trucks used to place the stack on plate 5. This plate extends from bed 3 at slightly more than a right angle so that it approaches the plane of floor i! when in loading position. However it may be said to be substantially at right angles to said bed so that, after deposit, the stack M will either tilt over to the bed, or tend to tilt in this way. A bead I8 is formed along the outer edge of plate 5 to aid in securing the lower box of the stack during loadmg.

In the dumping position, the bed is inclined beyond the horizontal and the apron E3 depressed sufiiciently so that fruit 2t, contained in boxes IE, will roll out onto the receiving and inspection table 22 (see Figure 4).

Since the weight of the loaded boxes of the stack 14 must be lifted during this tilting motion, I provide power mechanism to turn shaft 8. This consists of motor '25, which drives sprocket 26 through speed reduction gearing 21, and sub shafts 2'8 and 29 and by chains 30, 3| and 32. Sprocket 26 is carried on hub 34, journalled to turn freely onthe left end of vsh'aft' 8, and provided with clutch detent teeth 36 on its right hand or inner face. The teeth 36 on hub 34 are shaped to engage mating slidably keyed or splined on shaft 8 soasto move axially from engaging position, shown in Figure 2, to non-engaging position to the right thereof. along the shaft as shown in Figure 5. Thisforms teeth on thimble 31- 3 I 4 fruit is rolled out of the boxes successively, an even supply is furnished the conveyor. Further, the operator need only handle empty boxes, which are removed one at a time. His other duties are merely to control the operation of the machine.

Whereas I have described one form of my device, I realize that it is subject to many modifications, and mechanical substitution of parts, all of which would remain, nevertheless, within the spiritof my iriventiomf'Th'refore, I wish to be limited only by the following claim.

I claim:

A fruit box dumper for emptying a stack of field fruitboxes successively, including a supporta clutch 39. The engaging and releasing motion of the clutch is accomplished by the yoke Ml'which has tines 4| bearing in a groove 42 around thimble 31. Yoke 40 supported on abearing pin 43 so that its'tines may have .a lateral motion. This motion is controlled by hand lever '45 connected to the yoke by link 46. r l

The parts of the table 2 are proportioned and the shaft 8 positioned so that when empty it normally assumes the loading position with the lower end resting on bumper 41. In use, the stack I4 is loaded on the table in this position and the clutch 39 engaged. Motor'25 is then startedby operating switch 50. The table'is then tilted by the motionjof sprocket 26 through the clutch until it reaches the dumping position where the bottom edge of bed 3 engages switch 5| and breaks the circuit through motor 25. The drag of-the gearing and motor is then suflicientto retain the table in dumping position. The fruit in the top box then rolls out as shown in Figure 4 and this box 53 is removed by the operator, whereaifter the fruit rolls out of successive boxes of the stack as the preceding empty boxes are removed. As boxes are removed fruit rolling from the lower boxes is kept from rolling off bed 3 by wings 4. When all boxes are empty and removed the operator disengages clutch 39, using lever 45. The table then resumes the vertical position and is ready to receive another stack. The operator then moves the clutch to engaging position and the device is ready for another operation. 3

The dumping action is very rapid and, since the ing frame, a, table having a, flat bed, an outwardly -extending end plate at its lower end, and an apron atits inner end, a pivotal support for said table including trunnions at each side thereof 1 journalled in bearings on said supporting frame,

said trunnions being positioned to balance said table'so that it normally assumes a vertical loading position withsaid outer end lowered, in combination with means for tilting said table including, a motor operative in said frame, a sprocket'journaled on one of said trunnions, gearing and belts. connecting said motor to said sprocket, a

clutch operative between said trunnion and said sprocket, a manual motor control switch and a cutout switch mounted on said frame and adapted to 'openthe circuit to said motor when said table tilts to a position sumciently inclined to permit gravity unloading of the fruit, and the drag of said motor, gearing and belts being suflicient to hold said table in dumping position when said clutch is engaged and the motor circuit open.

JOSEPH 'BLASIOLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:'.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 891,517 Allen June 23, 1908 1,498,732 Jauch June 24, 1924 2,172,685 Thompson Sept. 12, 1939 1 2,397,129 Davis Mar. 26, 1946 2,410,515 I McMichael Nov. 5, 1946 2,498,740 Q .Miller Feb. 28, 1950 

